2025 NFL Mock Draft: Full first-round mock draft predictions with new playmakers

23. Houston Texans: Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss

This 2025 NFL Draft class has a pretty clear strength if you’ve been paying close attention throughout this mock draft. If you need help on the defensive front, you’re in luck. This is a great draft for defensive front seven players but especially on the defensive line and off the edge. And nobody has been better this season than Ole Miss in that regard.

Walter Nolen is a former Texas A&M transfer who has racked up eight sacks over the last two seasons, and we know he’s going to be productive in a defense like DeMeco Ryans runs. Defensive coaches are going to see the best in a player like Nolen who is a little inconsistent but puts flashes on tape that will make you believe he’s one of the top 20 or so best players in this class.

NFL teams are going to bet on 300-pound players with this guy’s level of explosiveness and power on the interior defensive line. Especially with those edge rushers in Houston, Nolen has a chance to be an instant impact player returning to the state of Texas.

24. Baltimore Ravens: Cameron Williams, OT, Texas

The Baltimore Ravens lead the NFL in yards before contact as a rushing attack and they are among the best in the league in yardage after contact. Drafting an offensive tackle with power and movement skills here would be the very definition of a great team “strengthening a strength”.

And in the spirit of the Christmas/Black Friday season, I’ll bring this up again – picking a player for the Ravens in a mock draft is like buying a gift for Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. How are you supposed to purchase them anything of real value? What do you get the one who already has everything?

We know the Ravens don’t have a perfect roster – no one does – but drafting guys in the trenches is almost a sure-fire bet for a team like this. You can also look at a couple of in-season acquisitions like Diontae Johnson and Tre’Davious White as some signs of maybe where the Ravens feel like they could upgrade for the future.